Unable to export images

[Zero01]

Hello - I've updated Windows (more fool me, I know...) and now GIMP (2.8.22) won't export images jpg or png and I'm guessing anything else too but I've only tried those thus far, saving to xcf is no problem though.

The error I get is "Saving "C:\Users\me\Documents\no_sleep.png" failed:
Could not open  "C:\Users\me\Documents\no_sleep.png" for writing.
No such file or directory"

Not sure if this a Windows or GIMP-specific bug. Can anyone suggest a solution please, many thanks.

EDIT: It seems like it's fine exporting any format image to my User specific folder (the same folder that includes ".gimp-2.8"), but not anywhere else.. pretty sure it is actually a Windows fault, as I now also don't seem to be able to export to png in Inkscape, and OBS Studio won't record, maybe other software is up the creek too, my "sleep" function no longer works.
Hmm, must complain to someone...

[Ofnuts]

Is there a directory C:\Users\me\Documents\? (using a command prompt, because IIRC the file explorer looks in specific values of the registry to simulate the presence of some "well-known' directories such as "Documents").

[Zero01]

Yes the directory certainly exist (in cmd as well as Explorer)

[Zero01]

Fixed it.. took a while but there's a new thing in Windows called Controlled Folder Access, which was stopping all my programs incl. Gimp from saving/exporting to anywhere except the "C:\Users\---" folder. What I had to do was - Go to Settings, type "Controlled folder access" which took me to the Windows Defender Security Centre/Ransomware protection/Controlled folder access. Switch to "Off"

[Ofnuts]

It could be a better idea to only white-list a few directories.

[Zero01]

Well. with the Controlled Folder Access you have to specify which apps you are going to allow, not which directories are available to save to. So if you have this feature switched on , you'd have to specify each and every app you want to allow (which would take time..!)

[Coyote Monster]

(05-03-2018, 10:00 AM)Zero01 Wrote: Fixed it.. took a while but there's a new thing in Windows called Controlled Folder Access, which was stopping all my programs incl. Gimp from saving/exporting to anywhere except the "C:\Users\---" folder. What I had to do was - Go to Settings, type "Controlled folder access" which took me to the Windows Defender Security Centre/Ransomware protection/Controlled folder access. Switch to "Off"

Thank you Zero01!!!!!

[hww]

(05-22-2018, 04:00 AM)Coyote Monster Wrote:

(05-03-2018, 10:00 AM)Zero01 Wrote: Fixed it.. took a while but there's a new thing in Windows called Controlled Folder Access, which was stopping all my programs incl. Gimp from saving/exporting to anywhere except the "C:\Users\---" folder. What I had to do was - Go to Settings, type "Controlled folder access" which took me to the Windows Defender Security Centre/Ransomware protection/Controlled folder access. Switch to "Off"

Thank you Zero01!!!!!

This worked for me as well.   Windows 10 (64).   I initially couldnt save ANY pictures till I excluded Gimp in Defender, and then I could save but not export.  Then I turned off Ransomeware protection in Defender.  As soon as I switched it off I could export my image!

[vickivalencias]

(05-03-2018, 10:00 AM)Zero01 Wrote:
[b]Zero01, Gracias, gracias, gracias, ese problema me estaba matando y es que después de que un Ransom me ataco lo había activado y lo había olvidado, te mereces un super like .[/b] 

[mathetic]

(05-03-2018, 10:00 AM)Zero01 Wrote: Fixed it.. took a while but there's a new thing in Windows called Controlled Folder Access, which was stopping all my programs incl. Gimp from saving/exporting to anywhere except the "C:\Users\---" folder. What I had to do was - Go to Settings, type "Controlled folder access" which took me to the Windows Defender Security Centre/Ransomware protection/Controlled folder access. Switch to "Off"

Thanks, this saved me a lot of research time! For those who don't want to entirely turn this feature off, you can do some additional steps to just unlock Gimp access to the folder it needs. When in Controlled folder access screen, instead of disabling it just click on "Allow an app through controlled folder access", then after clicking "OK" if prompted, click on "Add a permitted app" and then "Recently blocked apps". If you just had failed to export, Gimp should be available on the list here ready to be allowed.